Shade



s. w. SHER Jan. 29, 1935.

SHADE Filed Feb. 1, 1954 Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to lamp shades and more particularly to the construction and method of constructing the same with a minimum of labor and in a minimumof time, whereby the same may be produced in quantity at a reasonable cost.

The invention has among its objects the production of a shade of the kind described that is simple, attractive, durable, efficient and comparatively inexpensive. Heretofore in making lamp shades of types similar to that herein described it has been customary to provide a completed frame, thence wrap the frame with a suitable covering suchastape which is secured to it by hand sewing, then laboriously handsew the .covering to. the tape or covering on the frame. Unless the person making the same is expert and particularly-carefulthe covering may not be applied satisfactorily andmay be uneven, loose and even soiled by the handlingthat is required and even with an expert it is at its best a slow process. With my present invention the shade may be readily constructed by providing a suitable frame and attachable support preparing a cover out to 'a prescribed pattermthen machine-sewing one end of the cover, placing the cover on the frame and machine-sewing the other end and subsequently shrinking the cover in place. Then the frame is completed by the additions of the support or hanger and the shade is ready for use.

My invention has particularly as an object the production of a frame constructed to permit the application of the cover thereto as described and the completion of the shade without any handsewing work thereon.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1' is a perspective view of a completed shade with a portion of the outer covering turned back to show the inner cover;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the frame with the support or hanger detached therefrom;

.Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the inner and outer covers illustrating a step in the construction of the same;

Fig. 4is a sectional view taken substantially on 1111s P 1 Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the application of the support to the covered shade;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 6--6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken substantially 5 on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of my invention shown, the frame is made up of annular members 1 and 2, each of the desired size and shape, which are secured together and maintained in spaced rela- 10 tion by the rods or connecting members 3, which may be secured to the annular members in any suitable manner, spot welding being ordinarily preferred. One of the annular members is provided with a series of notches 4 in the outer 15 edge spaced at intervals, and with a series of apertures 5 arranged adjacent the notches. There is also provided a supporting member or hanger which may be readily applied to the annular member after the previously described frame part is constructed and covered.

The supporting member or hanger comprises an attaching member 6 provided with the desired number of arms 7, the extreme ends of which I prefer to construct as shown in Fig. 2. The arms shown are of wire and are bent over as at 8, 9 and 10, the extreme end portions 10 being adapted to engage with the annular member, as shown member 1, in the apertures 5, the arms seating in the notches 4. The support is not applied to the annular member however, in the construction shown, until after the cover is put on, after which the support is arranged in posi; tion, the flexibility permitting it to be sprung into place or removed without difficulty, although it is securely held to an extent where it will not accidentally become detached.

The covering material is silk or such other fabric as is found satisfactory for the purpose and is arranged on the inside and outside of the frame so that the annular members and wires are entirely concealed. Heretofore it has been customary as previously mentioned to wrap the annuiar members of a frame with a covering and sewing the same through and then hand sew the I inner cover in place on the inside and the outer cover in place on the outside, it being necessary, obviously, to hand sew the same to secure it. With my shade, I provide a cover in the desired number of pieces and so shaped that when assembled togather they conform to the design of the frame, and more or less fit the same. Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, there is an outer cover 11 which is shown made in two parts, and an inner cover 12 also in two parts, the cover parts being stitched together on a machine as shown at 14. At one end of the cover, the adjacent edges or ends 15 of the inner and outer cover parts are machine sewed as indicated at 17 before the cover is applied to the frame. The cover is then applied to the frame by slipping the same over from one end, and in this connection it may be mentioned that the two covers are preferably of slightly greater lengths than the distance between the two annular rings so that they project slightly beyond one of the rings or annular members as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 4. The over size is sufficient to permit the sewing of the two meeting edges together at 18 on a sewing machine. After the cover has been sewed up with the frame inside, the cover is then suitably shrunk in any of the well known ways, whereupon, the same is drawn taut as indicated at Fig. 4, and the shade has an attractive close fitting cover. The support or hanger may then be applied and the ends 10 of the arms positioned in the apertures 5. Ordinarily the ends 10 pierce the material at the exterior of the annular member, but this is im material and does not affect the appearance of the shade. With the arms in the notches 4 and the ends in the apertures 5. the support is securely held in place and cannot slide or slip on the annular member. Likewise the cover cannot slip or slide on the annular member. Tape or braiding 20 and 21 may be added if desired for the purpose of ornamentation, as well as any other ornamentation such as fringe or the like.

It will be readily seen that it is immaterial just what the particular shape of the frame is and whether the support is arranged at the top or the bottom of the frame. The sewing on and covering of the frame parts with tape or other material to sew to is entirely obviated so that there is an economy in material and labor in omitting the preliminary covering of the frame parts.

It is also possible to machine sew the cover proper at all points, thereby not only speeding up production and improving the appearance, but also reducing the manufacturing cost, as many frames may be covered in the same length of time that it would take to cover a few where the usual hand work is employed thus permitting mass production. This is attainable by virtue of the improved form of frame and support which permits assembling together after the covering is on the frame and which to all practical purposes are securely held together as if permanently secured by spot welding or the like.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shade of the kind described and in combination, a frame consisting of spaced annular members with interconnecting members forming a unitary structure, a cover consisting of outer and inner covering members arranged on the frame, said covering members machine-sewed together at each end adjacent the annular members of the frame, and a support for the covered frame consisting of a central attaching member having a plurality of arms extending to and detachably engaging one of the enclosed annular members.

2. In a shade, a frame consisting of spaced annular members connected together and forming a unitary structure, a fabric cover consisting of outer and inner covers arranged over and closely fitting the frame and machine-sewed together at each end of the frame, and a support for the covered frame consisting of a central attaching member extending to and secured to one of the covered annular members.

3. In a lamp shade and in combination, a. frame consisting of spaced annular members. permanently connected together, one of said annular members provided with notches in the outer edge thereof and with apertures adjacent said notches, a fabric covering consisting of outer and inner covering sheets arranged over the frame on the outside and inside thereof and sewed together at their meeting edges at the top and bottom, and a. support for the covered frame consisting of a centrally arranged attaching member having a plurality of arms. of a length to extend in the notches beyond the edge of the desired annular member and constructed with the-free endsof the arms bent over back to project into said apertures from the outer side of the annular member.

4. In a shade and in combination, a frame cowsisting of spaced annular members provided with interconnecting members. permanently secured thereto, one of said annular members provided with a plurality of notches-in the outer edge thereof and with recesses adjacent said notches, a covering consisting of outer and inner covering fabric sheets arranged over the frame and sewed together at their meeting edges. at the top and bottom, and a support for the covered framoconsisting of a centrally arranged attaching member having a plurality of' arms of a. length to extend over and beyond the one of the annular members at the exterior of the covering with the free ends of the arms seated in the notches and bent over and back to engage in said recesses from the outer side of the annular member;

5. The method ofconstructing lamp shades and the like on a framev consisting of cutting a. plurality ofpieces of material to a prescril'ied pattern to provide inner and outer coverings fortheframe, machine-sewing the parts together at one end of the coverings, thence arranging the covering on the frame and machine-sewingthe opposite ends of the covering without removing from the frame, thence shrinking the material on the frame whereby the same is drawn taut thereon, thence applying a shade support to the covered frame and securing the same in place.

6. The method of constmoting fabric coached lamp shadesand the-likeon a frame. consisting; of cutting a plurality of pieces; of material to correspond with the size and shape oil the frame to provide inner and outer coverings on the frame, machine-sewing theparts together at. one end of the covering before applying to the frame, thence drawing the covering. over one end of the frame and arranging the covering on the frame. and

machine-sewing the opposite meeting ends of the covering, without removing fromthe frame, thence shrinking the material on the frame whereby the same is drawn taut thereon, thence applying a shade support to the covered frame and securing the same in place.

7. A method of constructing lamp shades and the like consisting in providing a frame made up of spaced annular members secured together,,cutting a plurality ofpieces of suitable material to prescribed patterns to provide inner and outer coverings for the frame, machine-sewing the pieces together at one end of the cover, thence drawing the covering on the frame, said covering being of suificient length to extend beyond the annular member at the unsewed end of the covering, thence without removing the covering from the frame machine-sewing the free ends, thence shrinking the material whereby the same is drawn taut onthe frame, and then applying a supporting member to the covered frame.

8. The methodof constructing covered lamp shades and the like consisting in providing a frame made up of spaced annular members secured together, cutting a plurality of pieces oi suitable material to prescribed patterns to provide inner and outer coverings for the frame, machine-sewing the pieces together including the inner and outer parts at one end of the cover before applying the cover to the frame, thence drawing the partially sewed up covering on the frame, said covering being of suflicient length to extend beyond the annular ring at the unsewed end of the covering, thence without removing the covering from the frame machine-sewing the free ends to completely loosely enclose the frame, thence shrinking the material to the desired extent whereby the same is drawn smooth on the frame, then attaching a supporting member to the covered frame.

' SAMUEL W. SEER, 

